Category: Community Updates

Here is an exhaustive list of local and european election candidates standing in our area. Some brief profile information will be published shortly on candidates and it will be highlighted on this website which of these candidates support a modern day poster free election campaign. This website will not be be used to canvass for any particular candidate. The publication of information such as those candidates in support of a poster free campaign and other activities that benefit our community and local area will be for the sole purpose of providing an update for community members and residents.

Johnstown Tidy Towns have entered the national Tidy Towns competition on two occasions (2017 & 2018). The results achieved in 2018 represented a 6% improvement on the previous year. This achievement was recognised by the Endeavour award that was presented to Johnstown Tidy Towns this year. The 2018 report is available here.

Johnstown Tidy Towns urgently require volunteers to help continue this momentum. The committee has identified a number of current and possible future projects, however ideas and suggestions from the wider community are always very welcome.

For home owners, landlords, or businesses who might require a trades man to complete certain work on-site, it is very important the right person is selected for the job. With so many to choose from, this can sometimes be a difficult task. It is hoped this article will help community members to make the right choice.

It has become known that a private group known as Trusted Trades have trades men operating in Johnstown. Access to trades men within the Trusted Trades group is through an individual person’s mobile number. There appears to be no transparency and little chance for any customer to complete any form of due diligence before engaging this trades man to complete work at their premises. Recently members of the Johnstown Community were harassed by a member of the Trusted Trades group when they were subjected to vile insults and unwanted sexual advances. One of these Trusted Trades members is Weathersafe Roofing Ltd. It would be strongly advised to look at other roofing companies.

A better option when searching for a trades man would be to search the website of The National Guild of Master Craftsmen in Ireland. This website provides transparent access to trades men through an open database. This allows customers the freedom to select the trades man that is best suited to the work they need done. The customer can make an informed choice and feel confident and safe with their chosen trades man.

The Johnstown Community web team are delighted to announce the launch of the Johnstown Community Alert website. The aim of this website is to allow community members who witness anti-social behaviour or criminal activity to photograph or video the activity if safe to do so. Those who then browse the images and videos contained on the website can bring any useful information about the parties involved to An Garda Siochana. The people behind this website hope that sharing incidents like this can lead to increased lines of inquiry for An Garda Siochana and hopefully lead to the arrest of the perpetrators with the net result being a quieter and safer community for us all to live in.

The images and videos can come from a range of devices such as cameras, smartphones, tablets, CCTV, and dash cams.

It was an atrocious decision by Meath County Council to grant planning permission to Hunt Capital. The objections from the community appear to have been ignored. There is little, if any, difference between the first submission and the second submission. The only party that stands to benefit from this planning decision is Hunt Capital who will be increasing their profits and the size of their bank balance. We as a community will be left barely able to get out of our own homes due to the increased level of traffic that this development will bring. There will be 200+ additional cars accessing this mixed use development. This is on top of the inevitable increase in traffic as a result of the three housing developments that are currently being constructed which Meath County Council seems to have ignored. The meeting tomorrow evening (Thursday 1st February) at 7pm in O’Briens in Johnstown village is important. We as a community need to ensure this decision is appealed to An Bord Pleanála. Please attend the meeting if you can.

People have recently received flyers through their door advertising removal of unwanted household items. The flyer provides a mobile number belonging to a man named Mick. Mick does not hold a permit to collect these items and is breaking the law. He has already been reported to a local authority in Dublin with regard to this practice. Please do not hand over unwanted items and please spread the word.

Sunday 2nd of April saw the launch of the Johnstown Times, an online community magazine published by local resident Robin Marshall. The first edition includes contributions from a number of Johnstown residents and competition prizes have been kindly sponsored by local businesses.

The metges road which runs through Johnstown in County Meath is a hazard to all residents. Well in excess of 50% of motor vehicles that use this road do so at a speed that is well in excess of the 50km/h limit. This dangerous practice is putting lives at risk. There have already been a number of very serious accidents on this road in recent years. Do we have to wait until someone is killed before something is done? The solution is simple. The council need to approve and construct speed ramps which match the height and width of the existing raised pedestrian crossings such as those outside Supervalu / Johnstown Shopping Centre. If these are not installed then people will be killed just trying to get to the shop. Please support this petition to Meath County Council to provide these essential traffic calming measures: https://my.uplift.ie/petitions/provision-speed-controls-in-johnstown-co-meath

Bailis Downs Estate will be having its Launch Event for Neighbourhood Watch and Text Alert this tonight (Monday 27th Feb) at 8:30pm in Taylors, Johnstown. The presentation will only be 30 minutes.

This is a good opportunity for representatives on residents committees or associations in Johnstown to make contact with Community Garda Paddy Skehan for a ‘very brief’ chat about setting up your own area scheme.

If every Johnstown area used this scheme we could be so much more effective at keeping each other in the loop about any incidents or concerns.

If you are interested in setting up a Neighbourhood Watch & Text Alert scheme in your area, a first step would be to contact your resident’s committee / association representative who can arrange.